Page 10 Savvy Senior A Caregiver’s Guide to Medicare by Jim Miller Dear Savvy Senior, I’m taking care of my elderly father who recently had a stroke and have a lot of questions about how Medicare works and what it covers. He’s enrolled in original Medicare. Can you help me? --Caregiving Connie Dear Connie, Taking care of a parent after a stroke is hard enough without having to figure out Medicare too. The good news is that understanding the program can make life a lot easier. Knowing what’s covered – and what isn’t – can help you plan ahead, avoid costly surprises and make sure your father gets the care he needs. Here’s a practical guide to get you started. Medicare basics One of the best places to start is the official “Medicare & You” handbook. It explains benefits and services in plain language. Medicare mails an updated copy every fall, but you can also view it online at medicare.gov/medicare-and-you. For questions, call Medicare at 800-633-4227 to speak with a representative. They can clarify coverage for doctor visits, hospital stays, home health care, and more. Your state’s State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) is another great resource. SHIP counselors provide free, one-onone counseling to help you understand your coverage, identify cost-saving programs, and answer questions about Medicare. Find a counselor near you at shiphelp.org or 877-839-2675. Caregivers should also create a secure Medicare account at medicare.gov/account/login. Once your father’s account is set up, you can review his coverage, track claims, check the status of medical services and prescriptions, and see which preventive benefits he’s eligible for. It’s an easy way to stay organized and keep all of your father’s Medicare information in one place. Choosing providers Medicare also lets you compare providers online at medicare.gov/ care-compare. You can search for doctors, hospitals, rehab centers, nursing homes, hospice providers, and medical equipment suppliers in your area. This is especially useful after a stroke, when your father may need rehabilitation or specialized care at home. Covered services Original Medicare covers many services your father may need, including hospital care, doctor visits, lab tests, and outpatient treatments. It also covers home health care if your father is homebound, under a doctor’s care, and needs part-time skilled nursing or rehabilitation therapy, such as physical, occupational or speech therapy. Medicare also covers medically necessary durable medical equipment and supplies prescribed by a doctor, including oxygen, wheelchairs, walkers and catheters. Short-term skilled nursing care in a facility may also be covered for up to 100 days after a qualifying hospital stay. Prescription medications are generally covered through a separate Medicare Part D plan, which helps pay for many outpatient drugs your father may need. Hospice care is covered for patients with a terminal illness and a life expectancy of six months or less, as certified by a doctor. It includes nursing care, medications for comfort and short-term respite care to give caregivers a break. However, Medicare generally doesn’t pay for long-term custodial care at home, in an assisted living facility or in a nursing home. That means it generally won’t cover ongoing help with daily activities like bathing, dressing, eating, using the bathroom or supervision for someone with dementia. Routine dental care, dentures, eye exams for glasses and hearing aids are also not covered. Cost help If your father has limited income and resources, check programs that help reduce Medicare costs. Extra Help assists with prescription drug expenses, and Medicare Savings Programs can help pay premiums, deductibles, and coinsurance. Visit medicare.gov/basics/costs/ help or call 800-633-4227 to learn more or check eligibility. Taking time to understand Medicare can make caregiving a little less stressful. It helps you stay on top of appointments, treatments and equipment needs, while giving you greater confidence that your father is receiving the care and benefits he’s entitled to. Send your questions or comments to questions@ savvysenior.org, or to Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070. THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, SEpTEmbEr 18, 2026 SOUNDS | FROM PAGE 9 DAR prepares for 6th Annual Veteran’s Day Field of Flags Preparations for the 6th Annual Veteran’s Day Field of Flags to be placed on the lawn of Veterans Park at the corner of Winter Street and Central Street (not the Saugus Town Hall) to honor and remember all veterans on November 11, 2026, is underway. The Parson Roby Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) is sponsoring this event to honor all veterans, living or deceased, including those currently serving. American flags may be sponsored through the Parson Roby Chapter DAR at a cost of $5 each. The flags will be placed at Veterans Park prior to Nov. 11 and will wave throughout the week until Nov. 12, with your veteran’s name on the flag. Flags may be sponsored to honor a family member, friend, neighbor or employee who has served or is currently serving our country. The deadline to sponsor flags is October 30. You may send a check ($5 per flag) made payable to Parson Roby Chapter along with the information of the veteran – Name/Rank/Branch of Service/Years or War if known – and mail to Treasurer, 27 Pearson St., Saugus, MA 01906. After 12 noon on Nov. 11, you can pick up your sponsored flag to either keep or put on a grave. We will have a table at Founder’s Day so stop by for a chance to win Topsfield Fair tickets. 2021 was our first year sponsoring the Field of Flags and it has been a huge success. So many members of the community stopped by to thank us in remembering our veterans this way. There were over 140 flags sponsored with veterans’ Fall finds The Saugus Advocate “Sketch Artist,” AKA Joanie Allbee, having fun raking leaves. “Raking leaves, painting and sketches – it all transcends from the same place: the heart,” she said. (Saugus Advocate photo by Mark E. Vogler) names waving in the wind, and we hope for many more veterans to be sponsored this year. All proceeds from the Veteran’s Day Field of Flags will support the Daughters of the American Revolution’s mission to preserve American history and secure Americans’ future through education and promoting patriotism. For more information on how to sponsor a flag or on joining the Parson Roby Chapter DAR, please email parsonroby.saugusdar@gmail.com. George Capaccio presents Albert Einstein: Relatively Speaking On Thursday, October 1, from 6-7 p.m. in the Community Room at the Saugus Public Library, in this one-hour interactive performance, George invites you to enter the boundary-breaking universe that is the mind of Albert Einstein. You will discover that time and space are inseparable, that time actually slows down the faster you go, and that if you could travel at the speed of light, time would actually stop! But there’s a lot more to the story than Einstein’s insights into the nature of reality. George focuses on the great scientist’s very human qualities, including his sense of humor, his fondness for Jewish jokes and his trials and tribulations as a family man. Online registration began Thursday, September 17 (https:// www.sauguspubliclibrary.org/ events/).
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